WORCESTER City Council has decided to review the sale of a car park used by visitors to St John’s Cemetery after residents petitioned to keep it open.

We reported in your Worcester News earlier this month how the city council had decided to sell the former sexton’s house in McIntyre Road, which included a large asphalt area – used for parking by cemetery visitors since the 1960s.

Following the decision to sell the three-bedroom detached property, notices labelling the area as private property were put up warning drivers their cars would be clamped for parking there.

People living in the roads nearby said the closure of the car park caused chaos during a funeral with dozens of cars parked outside their homes.

Julie Paterson, who has lived close to the cemetery for four years, sent a petition to residents living in McIntyre Road, Comer Road and Hopton Street and received 38 back within 24 hours – accounting for about 60 residents. The house and car parking area were due to be auctioned at Worcester Rugby Club’s Sixways Stadium at 6pm tonight but the council has now decided to look at ways of selling the property and keeping the parking area separate.

Ms Paterson, aged 45, said: “The council is now saying the car park is for use by cemetery visitors only which is quite a turn around, considering they were initially saying it was not a car park for the cemetery.

“It is obviously something that many of the residents are concerned about as if visitors to the cemetery can’t use the car park then it is likely they will be parking outside people’s houses.”

Councillor David Tibbutt, said : “Having listened to residents’ concerns, the council has decided to withdraw the property from the auction to allow time for further consideration to be given to the management of parking and vehicular traffic using St John’s cemetery.

“The cabinet will consider the further issues raised at its meeting in January with a view to ensuring the council can dispose of the property while achieving a satisfactory outcome for visitors to the cemetery.”

Charles Robinson, of Griffith Charles estate agents, said: “We will hopefully be able to put the house back up for sale in the spring.”